Legal abortion is no longer the law of the land, but Monday’s 51st anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision is still – to Gov. JB Pritzker and other advocates – worth commemorating.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
State Police seized more than $4M in 2023
By Blake Haas SPRINGFIELD – Leaders from Illinois State Police are out with their 2023 criminal activity report. In the past year, ISP seized more than 10,000 pounds of illegal drugs and $4.5 million in cash related to criminal activity. Additionally, state troopers recorded a 32% decrease in expressway shootings, a 3% increase in patrol…… MORE
Illinois ranks among states with most doomsday preppers
By WMBD-TV ILLINOIS – Illinois is among the states with the highest number of doomsday preppers, according to a new study. Doomsday prepping can range from stockpiling food and water to constructing a bomb shelter. With 16% of Illinois residents prepping for doomsday in 2023, Illinois ranks 9th in the country for doomsday prepping. This pales…… MORE
Statewide preschool program having success through first year
By Dave Dahl ROCHESTER – Gov. JB Pritzker’s initiative to expand access to pre-school in Illinois has exceeded its goal in its first year. At an appearance at Rochester Elementary School Thursday morning, he said an additional 5,886 three- and four-year-olds were able to attend pre-school. The goal for Smart Start’s first year was 5,000.“To…… MORE
Illinois lawmakers floating the idea of attempting to cut the cost of prescription drugs
Illinois lawmakers are floating another attempt to curb the costs of prescription drugs, announcing a bill to set up a “prescription drug affordability board,” which would evaluate drug costs and set what advocates say are reasonable rates.… MORE
Illinois lawmakers offer opposing views on the migrant crisis
Lawmakers from opposing parties have opposing views of how to ease the migrant crisis. … MORE
Illinois Supreme Court announces task force for elimination of bail
By WMBD-TV SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court, on Tuesday, announced the creation of a task force to review appeals of inmates contesting their detention, as allowed by the Pretrial Fairness Act. The Pretrial Release Appeals Task Force will review pretrial release appeals across the five Illinois Appellate Court districts. In addition, they will consult…… MORE
Springfield FBI Office warns of sextortion schemes involving minors
By WMBD-TV SPRINGFIELD – The FBI is sending a warning out to parents and guardians of online solicitation schemes aimed at kids. A Springfield FBI news release states that “sextortion” involves the predator coercing the minor to produce sexually explicit images or video before threatening to release the material unless the victim produces even more.…… MORE
New rules for governing how people can register their assault weapons with ISP
The wait is over – for now, anyway – for Illinois police and prosecutors to now have rules by which the state’s new assault weapons registry is supposed to work.… MORE
Pritzker proclaims Jan. 15-21 Community Risk Reduction Week
By WMBD-TV SPRNGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker has officially proclaimed Jan. 15-21, 2024 as Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week in Illinois. CRR is a process used to identify and prioritize local risks, threats, and hazards using data. Once identified, strategies for emergency response and prevention are implemented and evaluated. The goal for CRR Week is to make communities…… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…